New Study Tells Resort Operators More about You!

(November 2013) The Mountain Travel Symposium recently commissioned PhoCusWright, a New York based travel industry research group, to conduct a survey regarding the travel behavior of United States skiers and snowboarders.Here are highlights from the report reprinted from Ski Area Management Magazine.

Survey participants who described themselves as both skiers and snowboarders (20 percent of ski travelers) spent more money on winter resort destinations than either self described skier- or snowboard-only travelers.

Eastern skiers and snowboarders took more winter destination trips (2.6 trips per year) than their western counterparts (2.2 annual trips) and spent 30 percent more money on overall ski travel with 16 percent more on lift tickets, 14 percent more on shopping/dining, and a 15 percent longer length of stay than western skiers and snowboarders.

Skiers and snowboarders had a higher level of digital engagement than general travelers in using their smart phones, tablets, and computers with 70 percent using websites for vacation research and 50 percent purchasing their lift tickets online.

The quality of snow conditions was the #1 consideration listed by 85 percent of participants in the survey with the second most important priority being the short distance between lodging options and the slopes.